A question about subbing. . .

tightbidness · #1 05-12-2005, 11:02 PM

This summer I'm going to sub in a Beatles tribute band. I know the Beatles' music well and can wing most tunes no problem, but I want to have the parts cold at my first rehearsal. The keyboardist emailed me a spreadsheet of the band's repetoire, which is over one hundred songs. They have a gig next weekend, and it sounds like they're focusing on that at the moment. Would it be inapproriate to ask the keyboardist what songs to expect when I play with them? Should I wait until after their gig next weekend?

Thanks,
Seth

Brad Johnson · #2 05-12-2005, 11:51 PM

Yes.

And if he's like the leader on a gig I did a couple months back he'll tell you to learn all of them. As if there was a chance in ____ you'd actually play all of them

I had a leader send me a list (song titles, no audio or sheet music of any kind) of about 30 songs a couple of days before a last minute gig, wanting to know which of them I knew. I knew all but five and I let him know that. He told me he wanted to do all of them.

We ended up doing about ten songs for the two set show... and it went very well.

Ah, show business.

Steve · #3 05-13-2005, 01:10 AM

We talking one or two gigs here or are you subbing for two months at a house gig?

Money shouldn't effect how hard you work at something....but it does.

Given that it's a sub gig, I don't think anyone would fault you for asking that the list be pared down a little.

Even if you sight read, getting accurate bass charts together for 100 tunes is a lot of dang work. You really can't cheat your way throught the beatles. Them are some pretty distinctive and well know bass lines there.

tightbidness · #4 05-13-2005, 11:35 AM

Thanks for the advice guys. I want to handle this as professionally as possible. For now it's one gig, but they've called me in the past (when I was living in Maine unfortunately). Last year the keyboardist told me he'd like to put together a pool of musicians who know the Beatles' catalog and can play functions. So I definitely want to to prove myself.

Steve · #5 05-13-2005, 09:03 PM

well then I would say that....

The guy will probably remember how well you played what you played more than how many you learned.